A modern entertainment system typically contains a number of components. Such components as a video cassette recorder (VCR), a digital video disc (DVD) player, cable and satellite set-top-boxes (STBs), and home theater systems have become commonplace in addition to the television (TV). However, with the increase in the number of components, the operation of entertainment systems has become more complex.
Typically, each component will have a number of different ‘operational states’ relating to what signals are received and transmitted by the component. For example, a TV tuned to a specific channel, say channel 3, can be regarded as being in the operational state of displaying the television programming on channel 3. A VCR typically has several operational states relating to both the delivery (output) to the TV of television programming (e.g., delivery of programming on channel 3, delivery of programming on channel 4 or ‘TV/VCR’ delivery, that essentially bypasses the VCR altogether) and the receipt (input) of television programming (e.g., VCR tuned to various channels). Other entertainment system components, such as DVD players and STBs, may have a similar multitude of operational states.
A drawback of the proliferation of components with multiple operational states is that it has become a difficult and complicated task to make the entertainment system operate properly. In modern systems it is very easy for a user to inadvertently change the operational state of one of the components so that the entertainment system is inoperable (i.e., will not display television programming until the inadvertent change is rectified). In these situations the user often does not know what the user did or how to return the entertainment system to the original, operable configuration.
Take, for example, a typical VCR and TV combination where the TV and VCR must be set to the same channel, usually 3 or 4 (e.g., the VCR must be set to deliver and the TV must be set to display television programming on the same channel). If the user accidentally or unknowingly changes the channel on the TV, the television programming delivered by the VCR will no longer be displayed by the TV. In addition, if the television programming source (such as an antenna) is routed through the VCR, the TV may not be able to display any television programming at all. In this example, the VCR/TV entertainment system can be easily returned to an operable configuration by changing the TV's channel back to the same channel used by the VCR. However, if the user does not know that the channel on the TV was changed, the user may not understand why the entertainment system is inoperable and be unable to correct the problem. Furthermore, the user's attempts to correct the problem may change other operational states of the components and further compound the inoperability of the VCR/TV entertainment system.
The VCR/TV entertainment system discussed above is an example of an entertainment system with multiple configurations, both operable and inoperable. When the TV is set to display channel 3 and the VCR is set to deliver programming on channel 3, the entertainment system works and is said to be in an operable configuration. If, however, the TV is set to channel 4 and the VCR to deliver on channel 3, television programming delivered by the VCR is not displayed on the TV and the system is said to be in an inoperable configuration (at least with respect to programming delivered by the VCR).
Many entertainment system users do not understand how the various components must be configured for the entertainment system to operate as desired. This makes it difficult for these users to rectify inadvertent configuration changes. In addition, even sophisticated users may unknowingly change the configuration and have difficulty returning the system to an operable configuration.
One drawback of this problem is that inadvertent configuration changes often are interpreted by the unsophisticated user as a hardware failure or some other failure. The programming distributor (i.e., their cable television or direct to home satellite television providers) is typically the only source of technical assistance available since most entertainment system owners do not have an ongoing relationship with the component manufacturers. In these perceived hardware failure situations, a typical user response is to call the programming distributor's technical assistance call center. Calls due to configuration changes can represent a very significant portion of the calls received, and thus a significant cost to the programming distributor supporting the call center. If the number of these calls can be reduced, it would result in cost benefits for the programming distributor. There is therefore a need on the part of the programming distributors to reduce the number and the duration of calls to their technical assistance departments resulting from inadvertent configuration changes.
The increased use of universal remote controls that allow the user to select between components when issuing commands has exacerbated the problem of inadvertently changing configurations. Universal remote controls have become popular as they can replace the plethora of component-specific remote controls. However, the user may become confused as to what component the universal remote control is currently set to control and, subsequently, the user may inadvertently issue a series of commands to the wrong component, for example to the TV while thinking that he is controlling the VCR or some other component.
Universal remote controls may also be difficult to use. In order to issue a command to a specific component, the user must first inform the universal remote control that he wishes to issue a command to that component. Typically, informing the remote control of a new command is done by pressing a button that corresponds to the component. Next, the user typically presses the button of the desired command. Even more steps may be required if the user needs to issue commands to several devices in order to achieve the desired result. For example, in the situation where all the components of the entertainment system are currently turned off, the user may have to separately command each of the components to turn on, as well as command the VCR to play. The resulting large number of instructions required to turn on the entertainment system and then instruct it to display the desired programming is inconvenient and potentially frustrating to the user. In addition, the need for multiple keystrokes greatly increases the chance that the user may inadvertently change the configuration of the entertainment system and require the user to reconfigure the system with yet more keystrokes.
Therefore, entertainment system users have a need for a remote control that limits the user's ability to reconfigure the entertainment system to an inoperable configuration. In addition, television programming providers (such as direct to home satellite television and cable television providers) also have a need to limit the user's ability to reconfigure the entertainment system to an inoperable configuration. There is also a need for a universal remote control that is simpler to use.